Posted on Thu 23 Jul 2015 at 13:16 by
Wadzanai Pasipamire
I am already one month into my post-handover official term but it still feels like I started yesterday – time really does fly!
8th June: Handover begins. Sitting in the Meeting Room, with two weeks of handover activities planned, I brace myself for the amazing year ahead.
22nd June: My official start in office. In most organisations, your first day is usually daunting when you’re the new person; but, our SU is not your average organisation. The staff across the union are so welcoming and extremely encouraging and eager to work with us in the year ahead.
29th June: Our first road trip as an Officer Team – Destination: NUS Wales, Cardiff. Once in Cardiff, we spent some time planning team goals for the year, goals that will make a positive impact on your student experiences. We then met the NUS Wales Director, Steve Cool, who gave us a brief history of NUS – it has been around for over 90 years!
30th June: Graduation ceremonies begin. All Officers must process at the graduation ceremonies. This tradition means that we wear robes and lead the procession of those who hold senior positions at the University into the ceremony. Sadly, I have just finished my second year, so I did not wear colours with my robe. My fellow officers Holly, Lucy and Matt graduated, along with other Class of 2015 graduates – congratulations everyone!
3rd July: It is 6am. I find myself with Eva Donoghue (International Students Co-ordinator) as we start our 3 hour drive to Brighton for the NUS UKCISA Internationalisation Awards. I met some budding entrepreneurs from UWE at the conference who have launched their start up, Loot, which is an international-student-friendly banking service; definitely a duo to watch out for. By the end of the day, the early start proves to be worth it because we are presented with the Internationalised Students’ Union of the Year 2015 Award – VICTORY!
9th July: Holly and I are in the office brainstorming ideas for our personal goals. One thing we are trying to do this year is bring societies and sports closer together.
14th July: I find myself sitting in a minibus with Carmela Lear (Activities Co-ordinator), Eva, Tim Stoneman (Postgraduate Students Co-ordinator) and Anna Boneham (Student Development Manager – Volunteering), with Becky Gallagher (Student Development Manager – Joblink and Skills Training) behind the wheel; Warwick University here we come. I really enjoy meeting other Students’ Unions, particularly other Officers with similar responsibilities to my own. These opportunities are a great way to see where WE can improve and likewise provide any tips.
20th July: I am finally 20! The Activities Office has turned my office space into a birthday-themed obstacle course – great way to start this new decade!
This first month has been incredible, definitely looking forward to the year ahead, especially once all of you are back!